Boerderij tussen bomen 1838

Cornelis Bernardus Buijs created this watercolor and pen drawing of a farm nestled among trees. The soft washes of color and delicate pen lines suggest a rapid execution, perhaps capturing a fleeting impression of the landscape. Buijs was trained as a painter, but his real livelihood came from his work as a notary, so we might imagine him taking advantage of moments of pause in his workday to reflect on the landscape around him. The choice of watercolor on paper, both relatively accessible materials, speaks to a certain informality and directness. It is a far cry from the painstaking labor of an academic oil painting on canvas. It gives us an interesting view of the everyday life of 19th-century Holland and its surrounding environments. Paying attention to these decisions helps us understand that artmaking is not just about high-flown ideas, but also the practicalities of life.